


Frigid Streets And Solace

by RedlaSunShowers029



Category: Be More Chill - Iconis/Tracz
Genre: Borrower!Rich, Fluff, I don’t know how else to tag this, Initial mistrust, M/M, Macro/Micro, Mild fear stuff but not fearplay, Winter Setting, borrower au, cold protection, mentions of / near freezing but nothing actually happens
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-28
Updated: 2018-12-28
Packaged: 2019-09-28 23:35:53
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,280
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17192336
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/RedlaSunShowers029/pseuds/RedlaSunShowers029
Summary: This is a long overdue trade from tumblr; I had most of it finished up but I figured it was about time i had it fully completed. This was actually my first time writing Rich, so hopefully I did him justice! And hope you guys enjoy.Technically not the winter / seasonal fic I was planning on but suppose it works pretty well as one!





	Frigid Streets And Solace

The number one rule for any Borrower was to remain unseen. A single glance from a human, a single indication of their residency within the walls of a house typically meant the end of one’s life. It was for this reason that some found themselves on the streets, roaming around in search for another home to open up. This was precisely what had happened this time, it seemed; the Borrower had been seen, and there was only a matter of time left for him to escape. Richard kept running.

 

Irritably, Rich bolted out into the frosty night air, only taking a moment to look around before progressing. If only he'd been more careful, perhaps he wouldn't have been seen… But no matter; now wasn't exactly the time to think about that now. He could hear the human somewhere behind him, giving an agitated growl as he slunk off into the corner of the porch. Perhaps he could throw them off, make them look somewhere else.

 

“Hey, wait a minute!”

 

Too late for that; he caught sight of their looming form not long after, their tone sounding almost desperate. While there didn't seem to be anything wrong with them and their demeanor, that alone was frightening. The humans who seemed the most gentle were usually the worst.

 

And Rich sure as hell wasn't taking any chances; if they so much as  _ dared _ to swipe at him…

 

Was it better to shout up at them or just keep going? Best to keep focused; this was an annoying setback and it might take a while to find a new home, but there had to be one out there. Oh, he'd find it, no matter how long it took. He could hear the footsteps approaching slowly and carefully, although they still made thuds along the wood as they walked towards his direction. Rich picked up a blur of red and shuddered, scrambling towards the side of the patio.

 

“It's okay, really - I'm not going to hurt you!”

 

The Borrower heaved a disgusted sigh at this, whirling around to address the human. It seemed they had the audacity to lull him into a false sense of security, and well, he just wasn't going to fall for that.

 

“That's what they all say, so why the hell should I believe you?! Damnit, just go away! You've done enough damage!”

 

Without another word, he ducked through the railing, taking an uneasy glance around him. It'd take some doing to make the leap, but perhaps if he gave it enough effort… Rich’s expression twisted into one of disgust and panic as he took note of how close they were to him, gulping uneasily as he sprung. The railing lead to a nearby bush, which he immediately crept into to get as far away from the pursuing figure as possible.

 

Admittedly, the the bush wasn't exactly the most comfortable place. It was dark, almost too much so to see, and a thick blanket of snow had begun to settle along the branches and drip down to his location at its base. Rich shuddered as his nose stung from the cold, wrapping his arms around himself with the hopes that it'd help. He could only do so much right now to avoid getting snatched up; warmer clothing would have to wait. He grimaced at the spindly feeling of the branches behind him, but slunk further into them until he was certain he was out of reach. Hopefully no wildlife came for him in the meantime; he was small as a mouse, and there were plenty of things which would prey on something his size if they got the chance. His needle wasn't exactly going to be enough to fend off a raccoon.

 

All thoughts were redirected as the thuds returned, and Rich could see they had knelt down. He could see a hand reaching out towards the bush, then withdrawing, as though deciding it was a bad idea. More tremors as they seemed to adjust position, and the Borrower was caught like a deer in headlights as his gaze traveled behind their glasses to those understanding brown eyes.

 

“Hey, man, I'm really sorry about that… I know Borrowers don't like to be seen like that.”

 

Rich merely stared at him, mouth agape with horror. The human’s lips curled into a smile, rubbing the back of their head nervously as they averted their gaze. “You  _ are _ a Borrower, right?”

 

This wasn't a good sign at all. Instinctively, Rich removed his needle from his belt, whipping it out before him defensively.

 

“W… How did you even…? Humans aren't supposed to know that term! Who the hell did you hear it from?!”

 

There was a slight bit of panic in the Borrower’s voice now, but he suppressed it, reassured now that he was entirely out of the human’s reach.

 

“Well, let me put it this way… You're not the first I've seen. I know a few Borrowers actually, quite personally.”

 

This really gave him chills. So there had been others? “Oh yeah? What'd you do to them?” Each and every syllable oozed with hostility and distrust; for someone so small, Rich undoubtedly had quite a temper.

 

“Wha…? Nothing; they're fine! Look, I get the whole Human-Borrower taboo, I really do, but I'm being honest.” It was this time that they extended a hand out to him for real, which only made Rich slink further back until he could hardly see them. “Please, let me help you.”

 

Rich scoffed loudly, gawking at this gargantuan beast before him. It'd be easy enough to have stayed here forever, but with how cold things were getting he doubted that'd be an option for long.

 

“Um, excuse me? Do you not understand this at all?! I don't need help from a  _ human,  _ thank you very much.”

 

He dared turn his back on them, the thought astonishing. Any self-respecting Borrower would  _ never… _

 

Another gust of wind hit him sharply, shivering from the cold. “Just go away, tall-ass. I'm not coming out.”

 

His strength was draining; he'd have to find shelter soon enough. He'd have a much better chance at it if they'd just hurry up and leave, but something told him this human wasn't budging. Why did they always have to be so persistent? He glanced over, averting his gaze once more. If things continued at this rate there'd be trouble; the far-off cry of an owl made him jump, although he otherwise kept composure. If he'd just waited a little longer to go out on his borrowing trip, he'd probably be safe and warm in the house, out of human memory and view.

 

“You're going to freeze out here.”

 

The statement sounded legitimately concerned, but it didn't change Rich’s standing on his decision.

 

“Oh yes, I  _ know _ I will if you don't leave.” He squinted, stepping forward assertively with a squint in his eye. “Let me make this very clear to you, since you seem to be having trouble comprehending it: I do not want, and I certainly do not need, your help. I am  _ not  _ taking the assistance of a hu-”

 

Another whistle of wind brought a rough current, nearly sweeping the poor Borrower off his feet.

 

“-man. I don't care what you say, I'm not getting near you if it's the last thing I d-”

 

He collapsed, feeling a horrific numbness spreading to his legs. He could tell the human was staring at him, picking up notes of genuine anxiety all the while. There were two different things that could happen at this point: he could continue to brush aside the human’s each and every attempt to get close to him, and die out here in the snow. It seemed only natural that he'd still leave with them looming before him, watching every moment of his death. His other option was to step out and trust that they were genuine, and allow for them to bring him back to the house. There was higher probability he'd live this way, and either way he'd be warm, back in familiar, comforting territory… Clutching his stomach, Rich seemed to make his mind up then and there, shivering violently.

 

“Ugh, is this  _ seriously  _ happening?! Goddamnit…  _ Fine.”  _ The words left his breath as an exasperated sigh, less than pleased at his limited options. He managed to use one hand to stabilize himself, pulling himself back up and brushing off the snow from his legs. “You'd better not get any ideas, got it?”

 

Rich received a nod. “I promise.”

 

Reluctantly at first, Rich placed his needle back into his belt and approached them as calmly as possible. He could feel his nerves tensing up, working to cloak it further and further in a facade of disgruntled nature. Nonetheless he managed to approach their outstretched palm, wrinkling his nose in disgust and disbelief as he stepped forward. The other hand moved forward, and it wasn't long until it cupped over him and he was sealed in darkness.

 

Already, he felt much warmer. The frosted air hardly slipped between the cracks which separated their fingers, a faint light the only memory of the outside world. The pulse was obvious from the palm under him, steady and calm even as they lifted their hand and rose from the ground. For the moment, things seemed to be going alright; perhaps he'd judged them too harshly upon first meeting them. Nevertheless, he carefully steadied his needle with both hands, minding the point lest he prick them by accident.

 

How could this be - a  _ gentle _ human? It was absolutely preposterous, and there wasn't any telling how long it'd last, either. All the stories about Borrowers being trapped and tortured - was it all true or were they only myths?

 

Rich’s thoughts broke off as the hand above lifted from him, reaching for the doorknob. No sooner had they done so that a torrent or warmth fell upon both human and Borrower as they swiftly but carefully made their way back into the house. A sigh of relief escaped Rich’s lips, his grasp less tense as the door closed behind the pair of them.

 

It seemed that he didn't need to worry too much, either; no sooner had the human entered the living room then he was carefully set down on the coffee table as they shifted over to the couch, watching him sheepishly. Of course, this wasn't ideal; in his panic Rich had left his grappling hook behind, and thus had no way of logically getting down. It was irritating, but at the very least the calm, sincere look on the human’s face was assurring.

 

“Hopefully that's better?”

 

Rich’s attention snapped back up at them, watching as they wiped the frost from a pair of glasses. “I guess I didn't realize we hadn't… Formally met.”

 

“The hell does that mean - you've  _ seen me?!”  _ Honestly, what else  _ could _ it mean?

 

“Well, not closely? Just the occasional glimpse.” They shrugged, uncertain of how to better phrase it. “I thought it'd be worse to mention it outright.”

 

“It doesn't particularly matter now,” Rich replied softly. “I guess I don't have much choice than to stay here.”

 

The human shifted uncomfortably, looking for some sort of response. “If you don't mind me asking, what's your name? I'm Michael.”

 

“You can call me Rich,” the Borrower responded, rubbing the back of his neck with mild reluctance. While human's were a typical warning sign of danger, he couldn't help but feel safe with them all the same. The silence filled the air, drinking in the calm and the quiet. For being so close to a human, this wasn't bad - hell, while he realized how ridiculous it was, it was actually soothing.

 

“Warm enough now?”

 

Rich looked up, brushing a trickle off his shoulder. “More or less, I guess. Think it'll just take a bit of time until the cold’s totally gone, though.”

 

“I could help you, if you like.”

 

The borrower's eyes narrowed, debating whether or not he fancied what that implied.

 

“That really depends on what you had in mind.”

 

Michael hesitated a moment, then tugged lightly at the collar of his shirt. Rich seemed to get the gist of it quickly enough. Squinting, the Borrower debated whether he actually wanted to be that close… But the cold still wracking his tiny body seemed to indicate it'd be for the best. He stood back up, gaze indicative of his reluctance as he beckoned the human closer. Michael seemed to pick up easily enough, at least, extending his hand once more. This time, Rich seemed to hesitate less, figuring if he hasn't been hurt yet then there was little chance of it now.

 

In either case, it had taken up until now for the extent of his exhaustion to hit him. Warmth surrounded him as Michael picked him up and lifted him gently yet again, opening the collar of his shirt just enough to allow the Borrower to slide in.

 

The feeling was surprisingly peaceful. The soft exhale of the human’s breath, the pulse in Michael's neck. The calm and secure heartbeat as it throbbed somewhere a little ways down, its rhythm soothing like nothing else in the world. Eyelids growing heavy, Richard placed one hand beneath his head, allowing the other to dangle before him.

 

Perhaps trusting a human was a mistake, or perhaps it just meant he was a bit of an outlier to his kind. Whatever the case, for better or for worse, it seemed he'd be trusting Michael for the time being.

 

In the end, though, as he drifted off to sleep, the answer to that question seemed obvious, the fear wearing off as seamlessly as a whisper in the wind.

**Author's Note:**

> This is a long overdue trade from tumblr; I had most of it finished up but I figured it was about time i had it fully completed. This was actually my first time writing Rich, so hopefully I did him justice! And hope you guys enjoy.
> 
> Technically not the winter / seasonal fic I was planning on but suppose it works pretty well as one!


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